Entry and residence for highly skilled workers
General Information
Release of the EU BLUE CARD – CONTACT US
An Italian employer or a foreign employer, holding a valid residence permit, can apply for the release of the so-called nihil obstat for highly skilled foreign workers throughout the year – Release of the EU BLUE CARD.
Requirements and definitions
Release of the EU BLUE CARD: Highly skilled workers are
- those who have achieved the title on a path of education of no less than three years with higher professional qualifications, corresponding to levels 1, 2 and 3 of the ISTAT classification of professions CP 2011 however residing in another Member State, or holders of Blue Card issued in another Member State;
- professionals, whose qualification is recognized in Italy, who meet the requirements of the Legislative Decree no. 206/2007 although residing in another Member State, or holders of Blue Card issued in another Member State;
- workers considered highly qualified, even those foreign citizens legally residing in Italy by virtue of a valid residence permit within one of the categories listed above.
Release of the EU BLUE CARD
The following categories of workers are EXCLUDED from the above:
- those ones who hold a residence permit issued for temporary protection, for humanitarian reasons, for international protection, for seasonal work, for scientific research;
- those ones that benefit from the status of long-term residents and are staying in virtue of the conversion of the Residence Card EC, issued by another Member State;
- those ones that are staying in Italy as posted workers;
- who enter a Member State by virtue of international agreements that facilitate the admission for trading or investing of natural persons;
- who have filed the nihil obstat for scientific research;
- those who, as family members of EU citizens, or by virtue of agreements concluded between a third party country and the EU, exercise their right for free movement.
The employer is obliged to perform the following tasks:
- to formulate the contract proposal for a minimum of one year for work activities, that require a professional qualification;
- to indicate the education level and the professional qualification of the worker;
- to ensure that the amount of annual salary is not less than three times the level provided for the exemption to medical expenses (then € 8,263.31 X 3).
Foreign citizens who own the EU BLUE CARD, released by another Member State, where they have residedfor no less than 18 months, may enter Italy without the prior release of the appropriate visa. The request of the nihil obstat for work must be submitted within one month from the entry to Italy-
Release of the EU BLUE CARD – Procedure
It is obligatory to submit the request exclusively online
On submitting the online application it is necessary to book an appointment at the Police Immigration office and bring along all the necessary documentation to complete the application.
If after three months from the submission of the application online, you do not make and attend an appointment to present the documentation required to complete your online application, the Police Immigration office files the application for lack of interest.
If the documentation is not complete or is not appropriate a pre-notice of rejection will be sent to the applicant
If the documentation provided by you after the pre-notice of rejection does not comply with the requirements, a final rejection instance will be sent to the applicant
At this point the application will be completely closed apart from the possibility for resort.
Once your application has been accepted, in your account online you will find it written: “Temporary C.F.” and the Immigration Desk will book an appointment for you to withdraw the nihil obstat communication.
You will receive the communication that the nihil obstat has been sent telematically to the consular authority. On receiving that the employee is requested to go to the consular authority to request a visa and, on obtaining your visa, enter Italy. Once the employee has entered in Italy they are obliged to book, within 8 days of their arrival, an appointment to complete their entry application. It is necessary for the employee to attend the appointment together with the employer who will sign the contract and be able to provide the following documents:
1. the original passport with the valid entry visa and a photocopy of all the pages of the passport;
2. a copy of the page with the entry visa;
The employee must sign the Integration Act only if his entry exceeds 365 days. Within 8 days of the signing of the Integration Act, the employee must book an appointment to attend the sessions of civic education in the Centers for Adult Education (CPIA/CTP), where it is also possible to attend courses of the Italian language, as level A2 is required by the Agreement. CONTACT US
The CPIA/CTP center you go to is supposed to have the same zip code as your residential address.
Release of the EU BLUE CARD: Application accepted for citizens who are already resident in Italy
If your application has been accepted and in your online account you find it written: “temporary C.F.“, the Police Immigration office will book the employee an appointment which the employee must attend together with his/her employer to sign the residence contract and to withdraw the kit for conversion of the residence permit.